Marriage Builder – Finding time for each other

The honeymoon is over when he phones that he’ll be late for supper, and she has already left a note that dinner is in the refrigerator. Sometimes it seems life gets too hectic, and our marriage relationship gets the short end of the deal. Marriage experts Claudia and David Arp — founders of Marriage Alive! — suggest that we make it a team effort and spend time together.

Finding the time… The honeymoon is over when he phones that he’ll be late for supper, and she has already left a note that dinner is in the refrigerator. Sometimes it seems life gets too hectic, and our marriage relationship gets the short end of the deal. We all need to discover how to find time to keep our marriages alive and healthy.

Good relationships don’t just happen — they take work and effort. You’ll find, though, maybe you, like us, would like to add a few hours to each day. We can’t do that, but we can use our time twice. Why not team up for some things that you usually have to do alone?

Make it a team effort. When we tackle the dishes together, it gives us a little extra time to talk. You’ll find kitchen clean-up time is one time you can talk without being interrupted by your children — at our house no one stuck around when it was time to do the dishes. Another place you can find extra talking time is outside where all that yard work needs to be done. What about when you’re going to a meeting or another activity? If you leave home a few minutes early or come home a little later, you can stop for a cup of coffee and a chat.

Maybe you’d like to plan a breakfast date and surprise your mate. You both may be surprised at how much time you can have together when you learn to use your time twice. Try it. It could be the time of your life!